UFC’s Bruno Silva suspended 6 months for ‘likely unintentional’ anti-doping violation

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UFC middleweight Bruno Silva has accepted a six-month suspension for a “likely unintentional” violation of the promotion’s anti-doping policy.

UFC’s in-house anti-doping partner Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) announced the news Friday, stating that Silva tested positive for the presence of 3a-Hydroxy-2a-methyl-5a-androstan-17-one — a metabolite of drostanolone — in a out-of-competition urine sample collected on April 11, with an estimated concentration of less than 1ng/ml.

Per CSAD, Silva provided a negative in-competition sample on March 30 — the date of his most recent UFC appearance — as well as negative out-of-competition samples on April 30 and June 14. CSAD stated that the source of the metabolite was not located, however Silva’s additional test results and extensive cooperation throughout the investigative process led CSAD to determine the positive test was “indicative of low-level contaminant exposure.”

“CSAD’s science advisor concluded that [Silva’s] sample results alone indicate that the drostanolone was NOT injected, that the exposure was very likely unintentional, and based on the negative ‘bookend’ results surrounding the low-level adverse finding, offered no significant performance enhancing benefit gained from this exposure,” a statement read.

CSAD also noted that because the organization’s science advisor disagreed with previous USADA positions related to Silva’s two-year anti-doping suspension for boldenone in 2019, CSAD did not treat Silva’s latest positive test as a second violation of the UFC anti-doping policy.

Silva’s suspension is retroactive to the date of his positive test, meaning he is cleared to return to active competition on Oct. 11. The 35-year-old UFC veteran has lost three consecutive bouts and five of his past six. He dropped a controversial decision to Chris Weidman in his most recent octagon appearance at UFC Atlantic City.